


Eggheads

by fourshoesfrank



Series: autistic marvel [1]
Category: The Punisher (TV 2017)
Genre: Autism, Autism Speaks, Autism Spectrum, Autistic Character, Autistic Frank Castle, Gen, In a way, THIS ISNT PRO AUTISM SPEAKS TRUST ME I WANT TO BURN EVERY MEMBER ALIVE, TW Ableist Slurs, ableist slurs, also this doesn't have any impact on the story At All but leo lieberman?? TRANS, im only on episode five cuz im lazy so if this is inaccurate.....big oops, it aint fluff tho, listen hes fuckin autistic hes one of us, the summary sounds fuckin ominous but this is p light hearted
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-01
Updated: 2018-07-01
Packaged: 2019-05-31 15:14:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 672
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15122165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fourshoesfrank/pseuds/fourshoesfrank
Summary: Leo has some suspicions about Pete Castiglione.





	Eggheads

“I think Pete’s autistic,” Leo said over dinner. “Pass the bread, please.”  


“He’s not retarded.” Zach slid a plate full of garlic bread over to his sister.  


“Zach, don’t you use that word again,” Sarah scolded him. “Leo, sweetie, why do you think Pete has autism?”  


“He never looks anyone in the eye, sometimes he rocks back and forth for no reason, and it doesn’t seem like he understands tones of voice very well. I dunno, I just feel like he is.”  


Sarah nodded. “Well, sweetie, it’s good that you notice these things, but don’t bring it up around Pete, okay? That’ll be awkward for everyone.”  


“Yes, Mom.”

-

“Are you autistic?”  


Leo watched Pete’s head jerk up when he heard her question, and she wondered if this had been a mistake. But Zach was dead-set on the fact that the man was neurotypical, so Leo had to break the argument somehow.  


“Why you askin'?” Leo breathed a sigh of relief on hearing that. At least he hadn’t said no.  


“No reason,” she answered, trying not to let the lie show in her voice. “Just wondering. It’s not bad if you are, I just wanted to know.”  


Pete smiled before ducking back under her mom’s car to continue fixing whatever was wrong with it. Something about the muffler, and the engine, and one other part that was hard to pronounce. Leo waited for a yes or no to issue from beneath the vehicle so she could ask what that third car part was called.  


When nothing was said for a minute or so, she cleared her throat and said, “Pete, could you please answer?”  


Leo heard a chuckle, followed by, “How’re you gonna treat me if I say yes?”  


“Wh– No different, I swear. I just want to know.”  


“Yeah, I got some autism,” Pete answered. Was it Leo’s imagination, or did he sound kind of...scared? Why was Pete scared?  


Before she could answer her own question, he spoke again. “Hand me that wrench, will ya?”  


"Sure." Once the tool was in his hand, Pete ducked back under the vehicle. Leo thought he wouldn't be mad if she asked why he sounded scared, so she did ask.  


"People treat me different when they find out. Start callin' me stupid and derp and retard and all that shit. And if they were already on that, they say it's okay 'cause I'm autistic." He didn't say anything for a bit, but he grunted while twisting a long piece of metal off the bottom of the car.  


"I won't call you that," Leo said. "You're really smart, you're not stupid."  


"Thanks, kid. That ain't the whole reason I get scared, though."  


"There's more?"  


"Yeah. Loads more," Pete muttered. "We got a whole organization trying to murder us 'cause we don't act like them."  


"Oh yeah, that's Autism Speaks, right? My school made us wear blue in April for them. I didn't like how they talked about autistic people."  


"Yeah. They're a bunch'a eggheads. Point is, don't think I'm stupid, and we'll be good."  


He slid out from under her mom's car and stood up to his full height. Leo ducked beneath the vehicle to see if anything looked new, but she couldn't figure out what Pete had done to fix it. Well, she could ask him later. The agreement had been that he'd fix the car, get some lemonade, then he could leave.  


"You wanna taste Mom's lemonade? It's the best kind you've ever had, trust me."

-

Leo tapped Zach on the shoulder while he was in the middle of a video game. He jumped in surprise, then stuck his tongue out at her and turned back to the TV screen.  


"Come back when I finish the level."  


Leo shook her head. "Pay up, little brother."  


"What?" He paused the game now, turning to face his sister with a look of dread dawning on his face. "No..."  


"Yeah," she said, with a shit-eating grin. "Pete said so himself. He's autistic. You owe me five bucks."

**Author's Note:**

> leave me some feedback you forgetful hobgoblins


End file.
